I asked my son why he was so cranky a few days ago and he explained he had just fallen asleep after studying for final exams when he was woken up by an annoying long distance text. A good friend had downloaded Snapchat, an app that sends a photo that automatically disappears after a few […]
I typed names into Spokeo today and to put it mildly, I freaked out when I retrieved all sorts of personal information from the Internet! Our lives have become publicly open books but what upset me most was finding the personal information of children too! Spokeo does not initiate or create the information. It is […]
Social Media enriches our lives and connects us instantly and inexpensively with the world, but it simultaneously makes it challenging to maintain privacy. Virtues of Social Media include the ability to express ourselves and to share information in interesting and creative ways personally and for business, but on the flip side, mistakes have harmed people […]
Monday, November 26th is Cyber Monday and it’s important to remember that cyber criminals will be online in full force too. If you are seeking online deals on Cyber Monday or anytime this holiday season, it can’t hurt to take a few moments to review the guidelines in Holiday Shopping and Travel Tips. Hopefully they will […]
I am a huge fan of Social Media but I dislike it when privacy or safety are compromised by private photos and information being shared accidentally or maliciously. My own tales include identity theft, credit card fraud and being reprimanded by relatives for posting and tagging vacation photos. I thought they’d enjoy seeing our photos […]
As we use the internet for just about everything, including financial services, online banking, shopping, social media and more, one thing is clear. Strong password protection is critical! It’s important to understand that humans are not the main concern when it comes to guessing passwords. Instead, we are at the mercy of password cracking software […]
As smartphones increase in popularity, threats to privacy grow too. We enjoy the convenience of using our phones for online banking, shopping, email, social media, web browsing, storage of personal information and keeping track of our schedules however these conveniences make us vulnerable if our devices are accessed by others. Losing or having our phones […]
Facebook privacy issues continue to surface and a recent one has many of us, including me, quite nervous. Facebook settings give us the option of allowing people to look us up via our Facebook profiles. A couple of days ago, Suriya Prakash posted the steps he took to access (non-friend) Facebook full profiles. He wrote a […]
Online dating has some advantages over conventional dating. It provides convenient and wide access to potential partners, especially for those who lack such access. Mathematical algorithms can provide daters with a basic sense of compatibility before meeting in person, and people can get to know each other online to see if it makes sense to […]
When it comes to online dating, it’s obvious, but I’m going to say it anyway. People lie! Some do it to protect themselves or to appear more desirable and others seek dishonest financial gain. Predators and stalkers can pose as people of all ages and Law Enforcement may create fake profiles to capture criminals or to protect […]
In Part I of this article, attention was drawn to the importance of avoiding phishing schemes and of keeping all software updated including virus protection and system updates to your computers and other devices. Today, let’s discuss two seemingly obvious inappropriate things that many of us do anyway because we don’t think anything will come […]
I recently completed two Cyber Security classes provided by TEEX, a Training and Education Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I wanted to learn how local communities prepare for and respond to cyber threats and I hoped the training would allow me to make a positive contribution to my readers and my community. […]
Follow Hayley on Social Media